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At a hearing which could also be described as a near death experience, Martin Luther stood before representatives of God and of men to give an account. Before him were piled copies of his writings made abundant by Gutenberg’s good work. Within those documents smoldered the embers of revolution threatening to ignite a continent drained dry by papal greed. To suppress the coming conflagration, the church offered Luther a choice, face a literal flame or utter a simple word— “revoco,” in English, “I recant.”

I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason — I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other — my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.

Those words marked a watershed in Western history. Though many factors had led up to their utterance, they stand (at least for Protestants) as a clear transfer of ultimate authority from church hierarchy to the Bible.

Also, since that time we have fractured into thousands of denominations sects, cults, and subgroups. I think five hundred years is a long enough time to conclude that people will never understand the Bible alike. Actually, it’s more like two thousand.

Christians lament the existence of religions like Islam and Mormonism, but those religions emerged to address rampant division between people who claimed to obey the Bible.

Between the fifth and seventh centuries, the Roman church hadn’t yet seized the absolute power she enjoyed during Luther’s day. In the early seventh century, the religious landscape on the Arabian peninsula was littered with pluralism and syncretism. Into that confusing religious circus, the Qur’an spoke:

From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them: so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done. O people of the Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary). There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book,(Surah 5:14–15, Al-Qur’an [English Edition] Complete and Unabridged. Islamic Studies Press. Kindle Edition.)

Twelve hundred years later, a man born of a new world would claim an eerily similar status as divinely ordained arbiter. In reflecting back on his call from God, Joseph Smith wrote:

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong) and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of Godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” (Pearl of Great Price, History of Joseph Smith verses 18,19)

Muslims and Mormons both hold that God revealed his will through their inspired text given through his ultimate prophet to clarify revelation, given in the Bible, but subsequently mishandled by those to whom it was given. It’s not hard to trace their line of thought from a belief that God gave the twenty-seven books which we call “The New Testament” to serve as Torah 2.0. If we needed a 2.0, then why not a 3.0 or 4.0?

Of course, no text no matter how precise or correct can possibly produce anything but division. Islam split in two at Muhammad’s death. Since then, multiple schools of Islam have proliferated over disparate interpretations of the Qur’an and Hadiths. The framers of Mormonism took leveraged their latter day status by correcting previous errors. They accomplished unity (for the most part) by reversing the Reformation and returning ultimate authority to the church.

Those of us who’ve not been called by a supernatural being to birth a new religion soldier on through glaring inconsistencies hoping somehow to credibly witness to Christ. He prayed that we’d be one so that the world would know God sent him. From the looks of things, that prayer still awaits an answer, and the world is still unsure about Christ. I don’t think it’s because God has failed. I think it’s partially because we’ve been divided for so long that we think it’s normal.

My fellow members at the Church of Christ used to say that if two people disagree on the interpretation of scripture one of them can be right and the other wrong or they could both be wrong, but they can’t both be right. Translation: “We’re the only ones who are right.” While I no longer sing that disharmonious tune, the logic still holds water. Out of hundreds of Christian denominations, either just one of them is right or none of them are. Most people would agree that none of them are, but everyone still claims to obey the Bible.

Let’s face it, the Bible is a big, complicated book written thousands of years ago over hundreds of years by people with their own ideas, problems, and interests. It is composed of multiple genres and written in archaic languages. None of the words were written to anyone living in the 21st century in the New World. To suggest that an average, uninformed American could start reading at Genesis 1:1 and gain any sort of cohesive insight into the will of God borders on delusion. That may be a difficult pill to swallow, but the existence of Bible colleges, seminaries, Sunday schools, or even Sunday sermons for that matter, testify to the truth of what I’m saying. Even the Gideons hand out primarily New Testaments rather than the whole enchilada.

Because the Bible is so vast and diverse, it’s message easily falls prey to the whim of those who would use it to legitimize their own wants or their claim to power. For instance, most pastors would readily explain that under Christ we no longer follow the law of Moses, but most churches have retained the practice of tithing. The New Testament does not enjoin tithing on believers in Christ not even once. It does speak of the early disciples collecting money, but those were special circumstances and almost always for the sake of alleviating poverty among their members or supporting fulltime ministers of the gospel. How could people who are trained and commissioned to expound the meaning of the Bible perpetuate such a glaring misinterpretation of it?

I have a hypothesis as to why. Institutions need predictable income to operate. When the church becomes an institution, it gladly trades grace-based generosity for an obligatory ten percent. Now, we just need some Bible verses to get everyone on board. Oh look, it’s Malachi 3:8–12. How convenient!

And then, we have the audacity to call the prosperity gospel a heresy! (Go read the passage in Malachi to see what I mean.)

Church leaders aren’t the only ones to blame; individual Christians have their own agenda as well. We might acknowledge that the New Testament doesn’t command tithing, but then go on to ignore passages which speak of divesting ourselves of material wealth and giving sacrificially to help our spiritual brothers and sisters in times of distress. I wonder whether many Christians haven’t been complicit in the tithing deception just because 10% is cheaper than generosity inspired by the love of Christ.

Tragically, our self-deception doesn’t fool those looking at us from outside of our fishbowl. When we consistently, persistently, and insistently mishandle the very book which we hold up as our standard, we deceive only ourselves and repel our sincere critics. No wonder unbelievers see Christianity as just a way for people to make themselves feel better.

We will discover and demonstrate that it is far more when we stop claiming to obey the Bible.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting the Bible. I believe it to be inspired. In John 6, Jesus said that his words are spirit and they are life. The writer of Hebrews famously declared, “For the word of God is alive and active.” These words electrify me, but none of them indicate that we’re supposed to rifle through the Bible for rules on how to live. For all the wonderful things that the Bible says about itself, it tends to take itself far less seriously than we want it to.

In 1 Cor. 15:3-6, Paul recounts his gospel. Those who would participate in evangelizing the world, do well to consider this passage. First, notice the brevity of Paul’s statement. In just 25 words, Paul relates the crucial elements of the gospel – “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Notice also the repetition of the phrase, “according to the Scriptures.” Paul didn’t expect blind faith in his assertions. He took the trouble to point out the Old Testament allusions and prophecies pointing to Christ. This approach commends the message as true when compared with other religions. Take as an example a Muslim friend of mine. Though he won’t admit it, he has worked hard to convert me. In response I have challenged him by saying, “I can prove the gospel with only the Old Testament. Can you prove the truth of the Qur’an with only the New Testament?” His honest response was, “No, I can’t.” A God who claims to live above time ought to be able to give us a heads up about what he’s going to do. Not only so, but if the gospel is true then we ought to find passages in the Old Testament which make no sense apart from the fulfillment in Christ. Isaiah 53 is such a passage.

Not only did Paul call the Scriptures to testify about his message, he also could point to a contemporary witness of these events – Peter, The Twelve, the 500, and then James. One might say, “Okay, so that was good for Paul since many of these people were still alive in his day but what about us at the first part of the 21st century?” The answer can be found in the final witness he listed, “Last of all to me.” Because Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision, we can expect him to continue to express himself in various other ways – changed life stories, healings, dreams, and visions. Everyone who has encountered the risen Christ has a story to tell.

So, to preach the gospel like Paul we should 1. succintly share the facts, 2. support them with Scripture, and 3. weave our own experience and that of others into an effective gospel presentation. See my attempt at covering these elements below:

The world is a messed up place. The Bible says that it’s messed up because people rebelled against their creator and did things that were wrong – they sinned. God plans to fix the world but he must first deal with sin. God’s messenger, Isaiah, foretold that God would send his Chosen One to die as punishment for sins, be buried and rise again to turn people away from living sinful lives. 700 years later Jesus Christ came and did what was foretold by dying on a cross for our sin and rising to life again. I’ve accepted his death as payment for my wrongs. He’s set me free from the guilt and power of sin. Now I’m looking forward to his return when he’ll fix this broken world where his people will live forever.

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Marriage seems so basic to human life and yet it can be so difficult and confusing. Why is that? How can we make it work? Click the picture to hear my latest lesson on reclaiming God’s original intention for marriage.

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Why do Christian leaders tell people that they should tithe? I don’t have the definitive answer but I do believe that I know something true about tithing. Tithing is not for the generous but for the stingy. Generous people need only hear of the need and they will meet it. They do not need a minimum compulsory amount. Church leaders feel the need to teach on tithing because they are leading a group of selfish people. Take the selfishness one step further and tell the “givers” that God will return even more to them if they do tithe.

There was a time for tithing. God assumed selfishness in the unredeemed people of Israel and made provision for it. For those who have been implanted with the love of God, tithing has become obsolete. The saddest aspect of tithing teaching is when we presume selfishness from the redeemed, they begin to be selfish.

Here’s what Paul said about a general legalistic approach, which would include tithing.

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious… (1 Timothy 1:5-9a)

Years ago, while I was still Christian, I had this great idea for a song about the three young men in the fiery furnace. I don’t recall any of the verses of it, but the chorus still comes readily to mind.

“What’s it to you, O Nebuchadnezzar, Why do we care, what you do to us? The God that we serve, lives ever and ever, And he has the pow’r to deliver us.”

The reason I am writing this today is because in the story, these three men believed in something. They believed in it strongly. And when they were tested, the believed it defiantly.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9

These men believed the bowing to images was evil, and they acted accordingly. No man, no matter how powerful was going to tell them to do evil.

Just like in Acts 17:11, years ago, I searched the scriptures daily to see if those things were true. My conclusions are likely not the same conclusions others may draw. The important thing is the quest for truth, and the knowledge of it. If more people would “buy the truth and sell it not”, this world we live would become a much better place.

It is true that peoples’ visions of the truth are as populous as their opinions. This tends to lead to all manner of aggression; but it does not need to be so. I can get along with near everyone, so long as I am not being preached at. Then, I desire to do the same.

I, like Paul, can be all things to all men. I can argue with the preachings on the hill, or I can concentrate on the things that make life better for all, such as peace, love, and forgiveness.

Going back to the beginning, everyone needs to stop expecting for things to either fall into their laps, or end up against their wishes.

It is better to go out and act. Do what it takes to make the world better lived in. Remember, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Psalm IIWhy do the heathens fill themselves with rageAnd the peoples imagine things in vain?The monarchs of the world themselves engageAnd rulers counsel and bring forth a planAgainst Almighty Jehovah on highAnd the one he has annointed, saying,“Let us break these bands we are restrained by,And these cords away from us let us fling.”The One enthroned in the heavens will laugh,Jehovah God shall have them to deride.Then he will speak unto them with his wrathWith his fury, they shall be terrified.“I have placed upon the holy mountain Of Zion my king, the Anointed One.”I proclaim the words of Jehovah OneThat he has gracefully made known to me,“Thou hast now become my beloved sonEven this day I have begotten thee.Ask it of me, and I shall answer theeGive thee thy inheritance, the heathenAnd the farthest lands across the wide seaTo thee, begotten, for thine possession.With your rod of iron broken are they,And dashed into pieces like pottery.”Now, O kings learn this lesson of wisdomYou rulers of the earth are warned of him.Serve the Annointed One with holy fearWith much trembing kiss meekly his feet dear,Lest he be enraged, you’ll die in his path,For quickly kindled is his divine wrath.Blessed are all that willTake refuge in him still.

But the accursed way of the ungodly

Will with gnashing of teeth ever perish.

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The Bible warns against unbelief but not against atheism per se. How could the writers of the Scriptures have warned against atheism? There weren’t any atheists. I’ve heard commentators on a local Christian radio station aim Psalm 14:1 (“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”) at atheists. Of course the implication becomes, “Atheists are fools.” However, should you have met the 10th century B.C.E. Jewish citizen to which the psalmist referred, he would have confessed to a belief in the existence of God. The psalmist was not saying that avowed atheists are fools. He was saying that fools secretly (in their hearts) suppress their awareness of God.

So who are the fools? The rest of Psalm 14 describes these religious unbelievers as those who elevate themselves by pushing others down. Such people by their actions deny God as their source. They may claim to believe that God exists, but they do not trust him to supply them with security, sustenance or self-worth. They maneuver and manipulate to get for themselves what others have or might acquire. Such people pray and attend religious services but they do not expect God to respond to their petitions. Instead, they engage in these activities to further establish their superiority.

As a case in point, consider Jesus’ very telling question addressed to the religious elite of his day, “How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44 NIV) These men who stood at the peak of the religious establishment of their day were unbelievers according to Jesus. From their lofty perch they congratulated each other on their moral superiority and derided everyone else. They traded genuine engagement with the Basis of their being for the illusion of relative worth. Rather than find the favor of God, they fed on the “failures” of those whom they defamed. “They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD.” (Ps. 14:4b NIV)

Faith, real faith, is a foreign concept. People will seek any alternative to humble reliance on God. Each alternative counterfeits the genuine treasure of our existence. The most dangerous counterfeits most closely resemble the genuine article. Those who accept religious achievement as heavenly currency are among the most desperately deceived. Beware religious unbelief.